Tonight at 6pm, #14 Cal Poly football will take on #3 Eastern Washington in what is sure to be the biggest game for the program in years.

The four headed monster of Joe Protheroe, Kyle Lewis (pictured), Kori Garcia, and Dano Graves will have to be running full cylinder to keep up with Eastern Washington’s explosive attack tonight. By Owen Main

Cal Poly has earned this particular opportunity — they beat ranked South Dakota State and Montana teams earlier in the season and took FBS team Nevada to overtime en route to their current 6-2 record and 14th ranking. Eastern Washington has been their typical dominant selves, en route to a 7-1 record. They are deserving of their #3 national ranking.

The last time these two teams met in San Luis Obispo was 2013. That year, Cal Poly ended up at 6-6 and lost to the Eagles 35-22 in a game that wasn’t even really that close. Cooper Kupp was a freshman on that team. Vernon Adams was the best quarterback in FCS that year. Cal Poly’s defense just couldn’t figure out how to stop them.

Eastern Washington was really good then. They’re really good right now too. They’re always really good.

Here’s the Lucas Clark preview from the SLO Tribune.

Return of Eti Ena

Former Cal Poly defensive line coach Eti Ena, a 2005 graduate of Eastern Washington, returned to Cheney this past offseason to coach the defensive front and defensive ends. Having been at practice with the Mustangs over the past three seasons may give the Eagles a slight scheme advantage, though the triple option — on some level — doesn’t change much. Keep a close eye  out for the battle in the trenches, what kinds of line schemes are happening, and whether Eastern Washington is able to get into Cal Poly’s backfield and interrupt Dano Graves’ rhythm handing it off and passing.

Cooper Kupp is… good. Really good.

Cooper Kupp. He’s good. By Owen Main

In case you have been under a rock, Cooper Kupp is amazing. I remember the last time he was here, as a freshman or sophomore. Vernon Adams would throw a pass and you’d look up and there was that guy again with 5-10 yards between him and the nearest defender. It was kind of a helpless feeling.

Look for Cal Poly to use well-timed pressure schemes to try to disrupt Eastern Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud. It’s probably the best chance they have to get some turnovers and get the ball back to their offense. When you’re playing the third-ranked team in the country, maybe your scheme has to include some well-placed gambits and chances.

Either way, Cal Poly fans should keep an eye on number 10 in red. He’s good.

Playoff-bound?

A win for Cal Poly would make an FCS playoff birth all but a lock. With two games remaining (at Weber State and at home vs. Northern Colorado), the Mustangs would be sitting on seven wins with three of them vs. top-10 or 15 opponents.

What if Cal Poly wins out? Well, I’d have to think that a first-round bye and home playoff game would be in order. I told you, this team has given itself an opportunity to be one of the greats in Cal Poly history. I’m not trying to put more pressure on them than is due, but the opportunity is there. Right in front of them.

The anticipation of what they’ll do with that opportunity will be fully felt in what should be a packed Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Saturday night.

For the first time in almost a month, Cal Poly got a win on Saturday — their first at home this season. The 58-26 win was the most Cal Poly has scored since they dropped 70 in a game against the Bengals at home in 2012. Last season, Cal Poly lost in Pocatello to Idaho State.

Cal Poly now has to prepare for Eastern Washington. The Eagles have quickly established themselves as the team to beat in the Big Sky early in the season.

Kickoff from Cheney is scheduled for 1:05 pm.

Kori Garcia finally broke-through on Saturday night. By Owen Main

On Saturday night, Cal Poly used 499 yards rushing and 605 yards of total offense to beat Idaho State 58-26 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

The numbers are impressive, but what is especially encouraging for Cal Poly fans is the way the Mustangs started each half. Cal Poly opened the game with a 14-0 and 21-7 lead in the first half.

Leading by just 8 points at halftime, the Mustangs scored three touchdowns in the first 7:29 of the second half to put the game out of reach.

Kori Garcia finally broke-out leading Cal Poly with 146 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns. Chris Brown rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing two touchdown passes. Both of those touchdowns were to Willie Tucker, who now has three touchdown receptions in the past two games and has re-established himself as a weapon other teams much game-plan for.

Cal Poly finishes a brutal six-game stretch on Saturday when they visit Eastern Washington in Cheney.

Photos by Owen Main. To view photos, click here. 

While Chris Brown had another 100-yard game, teams are keying on players like Kori Garcia, who hasn’t quite been able to get the corner consistently this season. By Owen Main

Northern Iowa rolled right from the beginning on Saturday night. It’s a game that Cal Poly would love flushed from the collective consciousness of everyone who has ever heard of football.

Cal Poly had seven points going into the fourth quarter in a game they were basically out of halfway through the first quarter.

A few highlights: Chris Brown rushed for 184 yards, Cal Poly outscored Northern Iowa 13-6 in the second half, and some off-tackle lead-blocked second-half rushes were successful. Alex Suchesk racked-up 70 yards in limited time.

More posts on the aftermath of last week to come, but for now, here are a ton of photos.

Photos by Owen Main – click here

Chris Brown led Cal Poly with 130 rushing yards in the win over Montana. By Owen Main

If visiting teams are lucky, they might win a game in Missoula every two years or so. The Montana Grizzlies’ win nearly 90 percent of games at Washington-Grizzly Stadium all-time.

It was against that backdrop that Cal Poly used a late field goal by back-up kicker Alex Vega (Gilroy CA) in his first collegiate game to beat Montana 20-19.

Vega, whose leg a little stronger than that of normal kicker Stephen Pyle according to Tim Walsh, drilled the 49 yard go-ahead field goal with four seconds left. Not a bad feat for a freshman whose first career attempt came with the game hanging in the balance.

In fact, the former Gilroy Mustang’s career high in high school was only

The high scoring game that was predicted by both Brint Wahlberg and I never came to fruition as both defenses played better than advertised. A 20-19 score might have been believable for the end of the first half.

Cal Poly’s offense had a few chances to extend their lead and take the momentum. Important drives were stopped by Montana’s defense at the end of the first half and in the fourth quarter, including at least one inside Montana’s 10 yard line.

Going against all of that, the Cal Poly offense,with zero time-outs, found ways to get out of bounds, stop the clock, and gain enough yards to give their kicker a chance.

Vega took advantage of his chance. Did I mention it was raining?

What a game.

26,065

It’s hard to overstate the home field advantage Montana enjoys in Missoula. I guess I’ll just put it this way: historically, Washington-Grizzly Stadium is the toughest environment to play in at the FCS level. In the rain, behind 26,065 screaming fans on Saturday night, it seemed that Montana’s ability to ride the Wa-Griz momentum would break Cal Poly’s hearts again.

Here’s a text I sent to a friend at 8:51 last night, when the score was still 17-17 and Cal Poly had just been stuffed in the red zone:

Me: Unlucky tonight. Great game plan and had every chance. Still not over, but would take a lot to hold-on at this point. 

Friend: That’s how it always is. Montana gets every big break in that building. It’s uncanny.

It seemed like things were going as normal last night. Then that last drive happened.

It was just the 21st loss for the Grizz all-time at their home stadium and the second time Cal Poly has won there.

Give it to the Fullback

I don’t know a ton about football, but the one thing I like to see from the triple option offense is when Cal Poly uses their fullback a LOT. On Saturday, Joe Protheroe had 29 attempts. Chris Brown led Cal Poly in yards and rushed it 24 times himself, but Protheroe averaged 3.9 yards per carry while never carrying it for more than eight yards. He was a workhorse.

Why do I advocate so much for the fullback? Well, the Chris Brown touchdown is why. Also, the ability of Garcia to get the edge late is why. If Cal Poly can force-feed Protheroe and Jared Mohamed to the tune of 30-plus carries and average more than four yards per carry overall, they are going to be really hard to stop. Fullback productivity can open up everything else in the triple option and control the clock too Feeding the fullback is one way Cal Poly was able to control the clock in the second half, keep Montana’s offense off the field, and give themselves a chance to win at the end.

Nard with three picks

For his first two seasons on-campus, BJ Nard was forced to sit, wait, and rehab. The junior from Bakersfield finally got a chance to play on Saturday night and certainly made the most of it, notching three interceptions.

While trying to run-back the final one, Nard was tackled by Montana receiver Ellis Henderson. Nard’s leg appeared to be awkwardly caught underneath him, causing him to fumble and miss at least a play or two. For a guy who’s worked hard to come back from multiple knee injuries, Cal Poly fans will hope his injury this time was just a scare and not anything serious.

Nard’s three interceptions in a game make him the 10th Mustang all-time to accomplish that feat and the first in 19 years. Kiko Griffin was the last to do it, in 1996.

Special Teams redemption

For a moment, Cal Poly special teams seemed to have let them down. After backpedaling for over 15 yards, Chris Fletcher attempted to field a punt inside Cal Poly’s 5 yard line with just under four minutes left. Fletcher muffed the punt but was able to dive on it at the Cal Poly two yard-line.

On the next play, Chris Brown was sacked for a safety. It seemed that Cal Poly just couldn’t get it right. But the defense held the Grizzlies on the ensuing possessions. Timeouts were used judiciously. Cal Poly gave themselves another chance. The field goal unit and Alex Vega made everyone forget just how close to disaster the Mustangs came.

Field Goals win games?

Tim Walsh has said a lot of times that field goals don’t win games in the Big Sky Conference. For at least a weekend, Cal Poly fans are glad for this field goal. Glad for this win.

Video Highlights

I only got to be at Cal Poly football practice for a little more than an hour on Monday. It’s great to see new players in uniform, who has bulked-up or improved, and who is still knocking off the rust.

Without talking to anybody about anything, here are a few things I saw on the offensive side of the ball on Monday.

Chris Brown looked comfortable in the first day of camp at Cal Poly. By Owen Main

Chris Brown is comfortable

Last season, Brown was still not the de-facto starter during camp. This season, Brown is coming off a great season and there shouldn’t be any question about who the starter is.

Brown’s status leaves fellow senior Dano Graves in a little bit of a pinch. Will Graves redshirt in order to save a year of eligibility? This would mean that Andrew Barna becomes the likely backup at quarterback.

Will he play another position like slotback at times and also be the backup quarterback? (Seriously, how fun would that be to have him and Brown on the field at the same time???) This is clearly Chris Brown’s team, but keep an eye on what develops with Graves as well.

Kori Garcia seems to be running well

After hurting himself in spring practice, Garcia looks like he’s running pretty well. The preseason All-Big Sky selection is one of Cal Poly’s only running backs who has had significant carries. If they’re going to have success this year, Cal Poly needs Garcia healthy as a stabilizing force in their running attack.

Khaleel Jenkins looks sturdy

It’s a random observation, but Khaleel Jenkins looks nice and sturdy for a freshman. Maybe I’m used to watching a young quarterback like Kai Ross (who is no longer with the team), but Jenkins’ size and movements looked pretty good for a Tim Walsh freshman.

Kevin Porsche is back at slotback

Porsche, who has played on both sides of the ball through his first two seasons, is back to his original position of slotback. It’s also worth noting that he looks a lot bigger and stronger this season. Beyone Kori Garcia and Joe Protheroe, the Mustangs are going to need at least 3-4 other guys who can get regular carries in order to stay fresh. Can Porsche break-through on the offensive side of the ball in his junior season?

DJ Peluso looks like he could really be a load to bring down. By Owen Main

DJ Peluso looks like a beast

You guys, this guy seems like some kind of physical specimen. I don’t think it’s just the tattoos either. If the Mustangs were looking for a running back who can take some of Garcia’s workload.

Cal Poly has always been best when they have 4-5 backs who can take the majority of carries with 2-3 others who can get some in spot duty. If everyone stays healthy, maybe they can have that again this year.

Alex Suchesk could be Chris Nicholls 2.0

He’s little and fast. The redshirt freshman impressed in a preseason scrimmage prior to the 2014 season. If things fall his way, he could be a big-play threat that Tim Walsh is always looking for. Nicholls was listed as a wide receiver in his senior year, but rushed the ball on sweeps throughout his career.

Photos by Owen Main

At the beginning of this season, Cal Poly’s offense was stagnant and out of synch while their defense was spotty at-best. With both units humming, the Mustangs took it to Montana on Saturday night.

In front of 10,775 fans at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, the Mustangs racked-up 528 yards of offense–421 of them on the ground, en route to a 41-21 victory over the Grizzlies.

The win for Cal Poly avenged a 21-14 loss last season in Missoula that Cal Poly had clearly been thinking about for about a year. The win was just the fourth time Cal Poly has ever beat Montana in 19 tries.

The win pushes Cal Poly’s record two games over .500 for the first time this season at 5-3. They are now 4-1 in Big Sky Conference play.

Chris Brown set a quarterback single-game record for Cal Poly with 226 yards on 21 carries Saturday night. By Owen Main

Brown breaks his QB rushing record

Chris Brown rushed the ball 21 times for 226 yards and two touchdowns. The 226 yards was the most a Cal Poly quarterback has ever rushed for. Last season Brown set the high mark with 195 yards in a victory at UC Davis. He smashed it against Montana.

Many of Brown’s rushes were designed or option plays, but some of the biggest gainers were broken-down pass plays where the junior saw a hole and took advantage.

No Nicholls, no problem

Slotback Chris Nicholls missed the game for the Mustangs, but the rushing game didn’t seem to waver. Brandon Howe carried the ball 19 times for 98 tough yards and a touchdown. Kori Garcia rushed it 13 times for 47 yards and a score. Garcia also caught a touchdown pass.

What seemed like an unknown at the beginning of the year — Cal Poly’s depth at the running back position — has now become a strength, despite their relative inexperience. Lance Mudd and Joe Prothero continue to play the “change of pace” roles while Howe, Garcia, and Brown provide a real triple threat running the ball.

When Nicholls returns, teams will have a whole lot to game-plan for.

Kori Garcia has continued to provide Cal Poly with solid rushes. By Owen Main

Graves impresses

Cal Poly quarterback Dano Graves, who played the entire Montana game last season, came in for Brown in the fourth quarter. With Brown cramping, Graves led Cal Poly on a 10-play, 79-yard touchdown drive to ice the game. Graves rushed the ball six times during the drive, culminating on a spectacular second-effort touchdown from one yard out.

Knock em down

Cal Poly’s tackling has greatly improved from the beginning of the season. After the game, head coach Tim Walsh said that tackling is something the Mustangs have been starting practice off with, and it seems to have paid off.

While tackling leader Nick Dzubnar only had 7 tackles — a season low for him — Cameron Ontko totaled 10 tackles and Josh Letuligasenoa and Chris Judge each nabbed a big sack to slow-down Montana’s offense.

The 500 Club

The Mustangs have now accumulated 500-plus offensive yards in five of their past six games. The one game they didn’t get 500 yards, they managed 485 total yards in a close loss in Flagstaff against Northern Arizona. On Saturday, the Lumberjacks, who also have just one conference loss, beat Eastern Washington.

When compared to the 24 points Montana gave up to #1 North Dakota State, Cal Poly’s 41 points on Saturday look pretty good.

Lots of fans showed up to Spanos on Saturday night to make for a great atmosphere. By Owen Main

Atmospheric pressure

The breeze was blowing at the end of the game, but the real change in atmosphere at Alex G. Spanos Stadium was that fans nearly filled it up. Granted, many of those fans were Montana fans. Grizzly loyalists filled the entire “visitors” section as well as about half of the general admission bleachers behind the South end zone.

It was, by far, the best home turnout of the season and should give the team some momentum toward a potential sellout next weekend in their homecoming game versus Montana State.

Top-25 Love?

Cal Poly hasn’t sniffed the top-25 yet this season. With the win, it will be interesting to see whether they get put into the rankings. They’ll definitely get some votes. Based on how they’ve been playing, I think a top-20 ranking wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

Photos by Owen Main

To view on an iPhone or iPad, click here.

Roland Jackson Jr.’s first career touchdown catch proved to be a big momentum-swing in the second quarter. By Owen Main

For a moment, things looked pretty perilous for Cal Poly on Saturday night. The Mustangs found themselves struggling to find their offensive footing, down by ten points in the second quarter.

It was a moment for Cal Poly’s offense to re-establish something positive. Three plays later, they were seven points closer. After rushes of eight and seven yards, Cal Poly quarterback, Chris Brown, found receiver Roland Jackson, Jr. for a 52 yard bomb down the middle of the field. It was Jackson’s first touchdown catch of his career.

The Mustang offense never looked back, outscoring Sac State 42-3 over one stretch, silencing the Sac State homecoming crowd. They’d outscore the Hornets 49-10 to end the game.

Kori Garcia had the quietest 140-plus yard game ever. By Owen Main

The quietest 141 yard rushing performance ever

I don’t know why I was surprised, but somehow I was. Kori Garcia gained 141 yards on just 13 carries to lead Cal Poly in both categories on Saturday night.

Garcia, who scored one touchdown, averaged 10.8 yards per carry. Perhaps it was because he didn’t often run right at where I was standing on the field, but I wouldn’t have guessed he had that many yards. Garcia’s ability to be consistently efficient and effective as an option to break a long run is a really good thing going forward for Cal Poly.

Protheroe announces his presence — with authority

Freshman running back Joe Prothero had the best game of his young career. Backing-up Brandon Howe at fullback, Prothero gashed the Hornets for 72 yards on just four carries — and two touchdowns. His first score — a 62-yard dash to daylight — was the first touchdown of the second half, putting the Mustangs up 28-20. A 62-yard run from a fullback was a big momentum play.

Spreading the wealth

The Cal Poly offense once again racked-up 500-plus yards of total offense (504, to be exact), including 393 yards rushing. While Garcia was the only one to have more than 72 yards, six Mustangs ran for 40-plus yards, including two freshmen.

Over the past month, Brandon Howe and Chris Brown have taken a heavy load, which is why getting more players touches in a game like this might have been a really crucial thing. We know Montana and Montana State are going to be physical, so for Brown and Howe to get a somewhat lighter load (just 11 carries apiece) was good for Cal Poly.

Nick Dzubnar returns an interception on Saturday night. Dzubnar had 19 tackles in the game. By Owen Main

Defense wreaking havoc

While the offense has been humming for the past few weeks, Nick Dzubnar and the Cal Poly defense seem to be finally finding themselves. After holding Weber State to 24 points, Tim Walsh’s defense held a potent Sac State team to just 27.

For his part, Dzubnar — the team’s senior captain — had another monster game, tallying 19 tackles, a half-sack, one tackle for a loss, and an interception he returned 38 yards. Some of that yardage was mitigated by a 15-yard penalty for a celebration he calls the “Sasquatch,” but he should be in serious contention for Big Sky defensive player of the week this week.

Chris Fletcher also had a particularly solid game, with 11 tackles from his cornerback position. Jordan Williams also picked off a pass and was there to make a few key tackles. Sac State tried to break the Mustangs defense with a lot of wide receiver hitch and screen passes to the flat, but Cal Poly’s defense used improved tackling to keep the Hornets at bay.

Back in the mix

With the win, Cal Poly is now 3-1 in conference play and 4-3 overall, after a 1-3 start. When Cal Poly was 1-3 and 0-1 in conference play, lots of folks wrote them off. After three straight wins, they are in fourth place in the Big Sky Conference. Their next two opponents are the two teams directly above them in the standings — Montana and Montana State.

At the very least, Cal Poly has found their stride and given themselves a chance to compete — something hardcore fans would have given an arm and a leg for a month ago. With all the preseason distractions and early-season adjustments squarely in the rear view mirror, this is a team that believes.

IF they can somehow find a way to win the next two games (both at home), Cal Poly will vault themselves back into the national picture, the playoff picture, and definitely the Big Sky Conference picture. The road won’t be easy. Montana and Montana State were ranked 4th and 11th in the FCS Coaches Poll last week. Eastern Washington, who lost Vernon Adams to an injury, doesn’t seem to have missed a beat either. They definitely haven’t lost a conference game yet.

My point is this — Cal Poly is back in the conversation for a team that could legitimately win the Big Sky Conference this season. With a pair of wins over the next few weeks, the opportunity is there to prove that they belong.

It’s all any fan ever asks for.

Photos by Owen Main

To view on an iPhone or iPad, click here. 

Nick Dzubnar and company made the right plays at the right times on Saturday against Weber State. Photo by Owen Main

On Saturday, Cal Poly beat Weber State 30-24 on the road, improving their conference record to 2-1 and their overall record to 3-3. The Mustangs didn’t pile-up gaudy numbers, but they made some plays when it counted and overcame some questionable calls to earn the road victory.

The game featured a lot of really fun talking points, including the fact that Chris Brown rushed for, passed for, and caught a touchdown pass. Kori Garcia and Brown each caught a touchdown from the other, and Nick Dzubnar had another double-digit tackle game. Importantly, the Mustangs again won the turnover battle.

So, what did we learn from last week’s game?

There is no such thing as an easy road win

Let me be clear, no road win in the Big Sky is an easy win. Cal Poly beat the Wildcats 49-0 last season at Spanos, but Weber State had two weeks to prepare for the Mustangs and were ready for the triple option. Cal Poly had a really tough time getting wide. Kori Garcia — one of the usual pitch-men — was held to 14 yards and seven carries. The Mustangs netted 289 yards rushing, but no rusher for Cal Poly went over 100 yards in the game.

Weber State contained and tackled very well, making Chris Brown and Brandon Howe shoulder most of the offensive load. Brown and Howe did enough, carrying the ball a combined 50 times for 177 yards. Neither Brown nor Howe averaged even four yards per carry.

Pounding the football has been good

Howe has become a real staple of the Cal Poly offense, and rightfully so. The one thing I think I know about the triple option offense is that, to be effective, one must pound the ball with the fullback — whether or not it results in a big play. Establishing the fullback over the past few weeks is what led to Cal Poly being forced into using some trickeration on Saturday.

A reverse and halfback pass back to the quarterback were really key plays on Saturday, but none of it is possible unless Cal Poly establishes their fullback and option game. Howe rushed the ball 28 times against Southern Utah and 23 times this past Saturday. Without Saga Tuitele’s willingness to create a constant battle up the middle, the “trick plays” Cal Poly used would not have been as effective.

Since Weber State was selling out to stop the triple option, Cal Poly’s trick-play responses simple and effective.

Anybody still want to question the playcalling?

Speaking of Saga, the guy was taking a lot of heat after the first few games. Picture the situation though:

Cal Poly started the season with two of their best playmakers unavailable. Guys who were untested were thrown head-first into the mix, and for at least a few weeks, the play-calling seemed designed to match the experience level of the players. Kori Garcia, Howe, Lance Mudd, Joe Prothroe, and Kenny Mitchell were all brought along kind of slowly. So were all the players on the offensive line and receivers like Jordan Hines and Roland Jackson.

As the season has gone on, comfort levels have obviously gone up. Coaches have a better idea of their players’ strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, I think, GUYS GET BETTER.

Here’s my mini-rant: One of the things I like best about college sports is that PLAYERS GET BETTER over the course of a year or from one year to the next. Chris Brown is a lot better now than he was at the beginning of the season. Brandon Howe is more comfortable. Offensive linemen understand schemes and have gelled. Defenses have been through battles together.

Coaches get better too. Especially at the FCS level, it’s important to think about a head coach or assistant’s performance as dynamic, not stagnant. Some criticized Saga after the first few games, but I think praise is due right now. He’s done a really nice job making adjustments, even when other teams are doing a great job stopping first, second, and third options. The Mustangs have now scored 30 or more points in the last four games (during which time they’ve gone 3-1). That’s 2/3 of their season until now. The Mustangs are averaging over 37 points per game over the past four games. Throughout the whole season, their average is up to 29.5.

Here are the three Brown touchdowns:

And here are all the highlights from the game in Ogden, Utah:

Special teams glitch

Cal Poly’s special teams had been very solid over the first five games, despite injuries to kickers. On Saturday, it was shaky at-best. Weber State ran a kickoff back for a touchdown and Cal Poly missed a PAT. The kickoff return for a touchdown could have been especially debilitating. It’s not too often that you win a game you didn’t completely dominate, on the road, where you gave up a kick return touchdown.

Halfway through the season, with a lot of really tough games ahead of them, I wonder if Cal Poly can withstand any more huge special teams blunders. Their margin of error isn’t large, so the answer is probably that they cannot.

This team is still getting better

OK, you saw my rant earlier, but it’s a point to make. Unlike a pro team that you might be able to write-off, most Cal Poly teams do tend to evolve over the course of the season. Guys execute better. Defenses get more dynamic and sharp. Coaches make better play calls. Freshmen evolve and become seasoned, and a junior quarterback continues to establish himself.

Contrary to the belief of some naysayers, this is a team whose season is not completely trashed after a shaky 1-3 start. Myriad outcomes for this season are right in front of them, especially in the form of the next three weeks. On Saturday, they go to Sacramento State to try to avenge a loss to the Hornets two years ago. After that, Montana and Montana State come to Spanos on back-to-back weekends.

If Cal Poly can win on the road in Sacramento and go into the Montana games with three straight W’s under their belt, fans in San Luis Obispo will take their chances against two of the best teams in FCS. If you are a Mustang fan, you have to be happy that this team has kept themselves relevant after a shaky start to the season. Starting on Saturday, we can find out if the Mustangs are a true contender or if they’ve been playing over their heads for the past few weeks, and the margin between the two is thin. They’ve fought hard to give themselves a real chance, but for Cal Poly, it’s now or never — continue to evolve or fade into mediocrity.

How do you think Saturday will go? How will the Mustags fare? Comment below.

Sophomore Kori Garcia has a real chance to prove he can make big plays on Saturday in South Dakota. The Mustangs will need him to do so if they are to have a chance on the road. By Owen Main

When Cal Poly plays South Dakota State on Saturday in Brookings, SD, there’s going to be a lot to look out for. Can the Mustangs bounce back from a flat-out disappointing opening-game defeat? Can they get a win and take a little pressure off themselves, proving that they can win without playmakers like Kristaan Ivory and Cam Akins?

Here are a few things to look for on Saturday.

Who’s healthy?

Last season, the Mustangs were decimated early-on. After games at Fresno State and Colorado State, they had lost a starting quarterback for the season, which is bad enough. On top of that, offensive linemen started to go down, defensive linemen played the rest of the season with injuries, and really the team was never again at full-strength.

Perhaps that’s the way a football season goes, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

This year, instead of playing two solid FBS teams, Cal Poly kicked-off their season against a lower-tier FBS team in New Mexico State in their only FBS matchup this season.

The Mustangs seem to have come out of the game relatively healthy — especially at skill positions. This could bode well for this week. The bye week is next week for the Mustangs, but the health of players at thin positions like running back, offensive line, etc… will be things to keep an eye on this week.

Quarterback

Cal Poly’s offense seemed predictable last week — something the triple option doesn’t have to be. Head coach Tim Walsh didn’t take quarterback Chris Brown out of the game until midway through the fourth quarter, presumably because he still had confidence that it wasn’t Brown’s fault that the offense wasn’t moving.

So, how effective will Brown be? If he isn’t, how quickly will Walsh go to Graves. Mustang fans are sick of the revolving door, but unlike last year, it has potential to be a positive this year if everyone can get the mixture just right.

Will the offense be effective?

Which brings us to the offense at-large. In the second half against New Mexico State, things looked really, really bad. The inability for the Mustangs to put any real drive together had to be a little disheartening.

This week they have a new opportunity to move the ball again. They learned last week that they can’t hang their hats on a good first half. Everyone at this level makes adjustments and Cal Poly will have to do so as well.

I’m a big fullback dive guy — probably too much so. I believe that in order to run a triple option effectively over the course of an entire game or season, the fullback dive has to be functional and has to be utilized early and often. As far as I can remember or see from the play-by-play chart from the last game, the Mustangs managed zero such plays in the second half last week. Will they stick with it this week and will that parlay into more consistent movement of the ball on offense.

Turnovers

For all the ineptitude the Cal Poly offense showed in the second half, there was a single play that killed the only spark they had. After the Mustangs defense drew an Aggie turnover, Chris Brown threw an errant pitch on the ensuing play, giving New Mexico State the ball back right away.

At whatever level, turnovers in football are killers. Brown committed two last week and I wonder if Walsh will even give him the opportunity to commit more than one against South Dakota State on Saturday.

Crunch Time

In the end, I think Cal Poly plays a decent game tomorrow, keeping themselves in the game against a really good South Dakota State team. The Jackrabbits stayed with top-25 and SEC opponent Missouri last week before losing 38-18. Cal Poly will do well to keep them under 30 points, which means the offense will have to come out of hibernation and then some.

I don’t know whether Cal Poly has enough playmakers left to put up big points on the road, but that’s why they play the game. This should at least be a fun game to watch until the end.